Passion Pink Sauerkraut

Chop. Place a large empty bowl on the scale and zero out the scale. Place the beets, garlic and caraway seeds into the bowl. Set aside a clean cabbage leaf for use in step 4. Slice the cabbage into thin strips and add them to your bowl until the weight of the mixture is 28 oz (800 g).

Salt. Sprinkle with the salt (2% by weight). Thoroughly mix until the salt is well dispersed. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the salt to pull the water out of the vegetables. Then massage the cabbage with strong hands until it clumps together and a puddle of brine can be seen when tipping the bowl to the side. Pack. Pack the mixture into a 1-quart (1 L) jar, pressing down tightly with your hand so that the brine rises and no large air pockets remain. Leave 2 inches (5 cm) of headroom at the top of your jar to allow for expansion.

Submerge and Seal. Tear or cut the reserved cabbage leaf so it just fits inside the jar (using the lid as a guide), and place it on top of the packed mixture. Add your preferred weight to hold the mixture below the brine, then screw on a lid or air lock or choice. Label your jar with the date and flavor. Ferment (2 to 4 weeks). Place your jar of sauerkraut in a shallow bowl and set aside on a stable surface, out of direct sunlight, ideally between 65°F and 70°F (18°C and 21°C), to ferment until the texture and tang are to your liking.

Store. Open the jar, remove the weight and clean the rim and jar. Firmly screw on a storage lid. Add the fermentation length to your label and place the jar in the refrigerator, where it can be kept for up to a year. Enjoy!

Make an Orange Passion Pink Salad. Mix a roughly cut orange with feta cheese, chopped fresh mint and Passion Pink Sauerkraut. For another delightful combo, mix the sauerkraut with lettuce, crumbled blue cheese, nuts, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.